


common interest

by blueasever



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: College AU, Day 1 (rivalry), M/M, Oisuga Week, day 2 (games), day 3 (affection), day 4 (sci-fi), day 5 (careers), day 6 (distance), just suga being a little shit and testing oikawa, might change the title and add more tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-22 18:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7449445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueasever/pseuds/blueasever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It starts when Sugawara Koushi and Oikawa Tooru fight over milk bread.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Milk Bread Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Oikawa realizes that he can't sweet talk his way into getting milk bread this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 1: rivalry

It was a Friday night; Koushi was trying to concentrate on studying but the smell of bread coming from the 24-hour bakery right across his apartment wasn’t helping. After an hour of trying to remain focused, his stomach finally growled in protest and he finally gave in. Checking the time ( _12:42AM_ ), he decided it was okay to just go out in his shirt with a shrimp drawing printed on the front and in his old pair of Karasuno jogging pants; it’s not like there were any people around to look presentable for.

The bakery was a self-service type of store; there were tongs and trays by the bread stalls for the customers to use. Grabbing a tray and a pair of tongs, Koushi surveyed the area, noticing only two employees around at this hour; the security guard and the cashier who was currently displaying a newly baked batch of yakisoba bread. With a frown, Koushi noticed that there were no more steamed cheese bread which left him to look for some milk bread. Having basically memorized the bakery's sections from his constant visits, he immediately headed to the corner where he knew he’d find it.

As it turns out, luck was on Koushi’s side tonight because there were three pieces of milk bread left, and they were still warm too. Surely, it would be enough to fill up his growling stomach. Smiling to himself, he put them on his tray and proceeded to slowly walk to the counter while surveying the area to check if the steamed cheese bread section was refilled.

Unfortunately it still wasn’t.

And as it turns out luck wasn’t on his side tonight.

Feeling a light tap on his shoulder, Koushi turned around and came face to face _(or in this case, face to chin)_ with Oikawa Tooru.

Something about having Oikawa slightly tower over him ticked him off ( _maybe Yaku was rubbing on him_ ). When Koushi snaps out of his trance, he quickly changes the blank expression on his face into a polite smile _(after all, Oikawa hadn’t done anything wrong yet_ ). “Yes?” He says and realizes a bit too late that his voice sounded a little too polite and probably came across as forced. He hopes Oikawa doesn’t notice it.

Oikawa notices it.

Instead of backing off, Oikawa brushes it off, meets his eyes, and puts on a smile that’s small enough to look meek but cute enough to be charming. He wasn’t going to back down that easily, he came here with a mission after all. “Ummm hello, Sugawara Koushi from Karasuno, right? Can I ask you for a favor?” He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly and proceeds to twirl his index fingers together with the intent of looking pitiful and hoping that it placates the silver-haired boy in front of him.

Koushi doesn’t miss the fact that Oikawa doesn’t introduce himself and doesn’t ask Koushi if he remembers him. Oikawa knows ( _or assumes_ ) that Koushi knows who he is ( _Koushi files that observation away for later analysis_ ). Koushi also doesn’t miss the fact that this is the first time Oikawa has approached him even though they go to the same university and have had enough chances to talk to each other ( _of course half of this is Koushi’s fault but only because he wasn’t sure if Oikawa remembered him but obviously he was wrong_ ). _Something’s up_ , his instincts tell him.

“My fr-, um, you can call me Suga.” Koushi corrects himself because he and Oikawa aren’t exactly friends. “It depends on the favor, _Oikawa-san.”_ He says while straightening his spine, all business-like. He might not know Oikawa that well but he knows enough to be wary of the nice guy act that Oikawa was putting on. Maybe if he wasn’t worried about his milk bread getting cold, he’d play along and even humor him. But right now, he had a stomach to fill and a bunch of books to study.

 _Well, this is interesting_ , Oikawa thinks as he meets Suga’s unflinching stare. He’d always pictured Sugawara Koushi as nice and polite so he thought that sweet-talking him into giving up the three pieces of his favorite milk bread resting on his tray would be easy. Now however, he had an inkling that he was wrong. “ _Suga-chan_ , would it be okay if I bought those pieces of milk bread instead?” Oikawa glances on the tray and flutters his eyelashes prettily, quickly changing his tactic into winning the milk bread over. “They’re my favorite and those are the last ones. I’ll even pay you twice the price if you want.” He adds hopefully in order to soften the blow.

And at that, the silver-haired boy has to hold himself back from grinning. _I knew it,_ Koushi thinks, pleased that he guessed that Oikawa was definitely buttering him up but just slightly disappointed that this was the reason he approached him _(just slightly, that’s what he tells himself_ ).

Normally, Koushi would be mature and nice enough to offer at least a piece of milk bread to Oikawa with or without being offered cash. Usually, he ignored the deviant part of his mind that told him the opposite. Maybe it was because he was starving or maybe it was his thrill-seeking side being especially apparent during midnight but too bad for Oikawa, he was feeling especially cheeky.

“Just twice the price?” Koushi smiles quite smugly and slightly tilts his head sideways in a birdlike manner, fake inquisitive and all. He’s always seen Oikawa tease Kageyama so he figures it wouldn’t hurt to do some karmic teasing as well.

“Excuse me?” Oikawa asks because he’s not sure he heard that correctly. This was Mr. Refreshing after all, the nice and polite ex vice-captain of Karasuno, surely he wasn’t toying with Oikawa ( _Oikawa was supposed to be the one toying with him into giving up his tray of milk bread_ ). The initial shock of what Suga said to him had caused some venom to seep into his tone, ruining his act.

He was finally seeing glimpses of the Oikawa Tooru he played volleyball matches against. There was something strangely pleasing about catching Oikawa off-guard and seeing Oikawa’s cheery façade slowly crumble. He liked this version of him better.

Koushi finally lets his lips morph into a cheeky grin. This was just their first meeting so he shouldn’t tease Oikawa too much. “I’m just messing with you _Oikawa-san_.” He giggles when he spots the tell-tale signs of a pout beginning to form on the brunet’s face. “Besides, you were the one who tried sweet-talking me into handing _my_ milk bread over.”

“ _That’s not very refreshing of you._ ” Oikawa mumbles, half because he's feeling dejected for being seen through so easily, and half because he's still speechless about the realization that he's the one that's been played all along.

Not quite comprehending what it meant, Koushi chooses to ignore the comment. “I’m sorry but I’m really hungry. Here, I’ll let you have this one instead.” He takes another tray and transfers a milk bread on top of it before handing it to the brunet, ignoring the other boy’s futile attempt to haggle. “Think of it as a peace offering." He proceeds to walk away but he turns around suddenly when he realizes that he's forgotten something. "Oh, and have a good night, _Oikawa-san_ ” He adds with a taunting tone, unable to resist the temptation of teasing him again, before giving Oikawa one last grin. Finally, he turns back around and heads to the counter, leaving no room for argument and leaving a very stupefied Oikawa Tooru behind.

 

 _Well, that definitely wasn’t refreshing at all_ , Oikawa thinks to himself, feeling both amused and vengeful. Something tells him that this wasn't the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by that one extra manga page where Tanaka, Daichi and Suga asked Hinata to buy them some bread. When Suga asked for milk bread I was like, you know who else likes milk bread ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Also, I feel like people tend to forget that Suga is cheeky af because of the whole 'Sugamama' image so I just wanted to explore that side of him
> 
> I'm still a fledgling as this so comments and criticisms are more than welcome lol


	2. The Milk Bread Incident pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Oikawa embarasses himself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 2: games

It definitely wasn’t the last time, Tooru made sure of it.

Since the 24-hour bakery was a few blocks from his apartment, he’d been a regular customer. He’d never really paid that much attention to other customers before and he usually only came around during daylight hours. Now however, his usual visits had been moved to midnight, hoping to get back at Suga.

~

It was exactly a week after that incident and it still makes Koushi smile every time he remembers it. Checking the time, he realizes it’s almost 1 am and he might as well humor himself and buy some milk bread in memory of it. Oikawa’s probably forgotten about it already anyway so he won’t have to worry about running into him and repeating last week’s event.

Depending on how you looked at it, luck may or may not be on his side.

Because when he walks near the milk bread stall, he spots Oikawa not-so-subtly hiding behind another stall a few meters away and peeking at the said milk bread stall. Well, it would have been subtle if Koushi walked from the other direction. His instincts told him this was a part of Oikawa’s silly attempt to get back at him for last week. The brunet looked so concentrated and serious about the whole ordeal; he would have taken a photo and laughed out loud if he didn’t plan on sneaking up on the brunet.

Walking as silently as possible, he goes beside Oikawa and stands on his tiptoes. “Who are we playing hide and seek from?” He stage-whispers to the taller boy, voice dripping with mischief.

“Ah!” Oikawa jumps and glares at Koushi. Another pout was taking form on his lips, causing Suga to emit a giggle. “ _Suga-chan_ , that’s really mean!” He huffs, looking around if anyone else witnessed that. “You know, it’s not nice to-“

“Sneak up on people?” Suga cuts him off and finishes the sentence for him, eyebrows raised, chin raised in defiance and cheeky grin in place. Oikawa would have found it charming, had he not felt personally victimized by it. “Anyways, what exactly were you trying to do here? You weren’t planning to get me back, not after I gave you a peace offering?” Suga asks in a teasing tone, knowing full well what the other boy was up to.

 _Oh please, that piece of milk bread was anything but a peace offering,_ Oikawa wants to retort but holds himself back and straightens up. This time, he won’t let Suga’s teasing rile him up that easily. “I was just checking if there were still any left, you know, after last week’s incident.” He quips with a sickly-sweet tone.

 _Ah, so he’s still not over it,_ Oikawa’s petty side was showing and Koushi found it kind of endearing. It made him want to tease the other more boy. Without any forewarning, Koushi grabs a tray with a pair of tongs and dashes to get the milk bread first.  This time, there were five pieces left. He’s not starving and he knows that he only needed a piece or two. He also knows that Oikawa would feel pissed if he took all of them, _again_. So he proceeds to do just that.

The fifteen second delay caused by being left stupefied by Suga yet again was enough for Oikawa to lose all the pieces to milk bread. Eyes furrowed in annoyance, he’s left standing in front of the milk bread stall, empty handed. He’s about to open his mouth when he spots the silver-haired boy transfer pieces of milk bread into his tray.

Koushi laughs because he’s won again. “Here, since I’m feeling generous.” He says after transferring the third piece, his eyes are twinkling with amusement and Oikawa knows that he’s been played again. This wasn’t just about the milk bread, Suga was playing mind games with him. Sugawara 2, Oikawa 0.

Oikawa mumbles a thanks and proceeds to walk back with the smaller boy to the counter.

~

“You know, you’re not as nice as you look like.” The brunet comments when they walk out the store with their bag of milk bread in hand. He expects Suga to deny it but the silver-haired boy only chuckles and gives him a cheeky grin.

“You know, you’re not as tough as you look like.” Koushi finally replies after a few minutes of walking in silence ( _they’ve long ago passed his apartment which was right across the bakery but Oikawa didn’t need to know that_ ). Inevitably, Oikawa opens his mouth to deny it but Koushi cuts him off again, giggling. “And really easy to tease too.”

“I used to call you Mr. Refreshing in high school and now I’m realizing that you’re anything but refreshing, _Suga-chan_.” Oikawa says out of the blue. “You seemed like a nice and polite person then.” He teases. Strangely enough, he’d enjoyed Suga’s company after realizing that they had shared the same eccentric sense of humor, full of teasing and mind games.

“Tsk, you’re just mad about the milk bread, _Oikawa._ ” Koushi says, refusing to give in to Oikawa’s teasing ( _he drops the honorific, hoping that Oikawa would do the same_ ). He’d always assumed that he didn’t leave much impression on the volleyball teams they fought against so hearing Oikawa admit to nicknaming him ‘Mr. Refreshing’ in high school caused warmth to bloom in his cheeks.

“Hmph, anyways, this is my stop, we’ve already reached my apartment. What about you, do you live near here too?” Oikawa knows he doesn’t live near here, he would’ve noticed that, it was just an excuse to keep their conversation going a little while longer.

“Actually, my apartment was right in front of the bakery, I just wanted to walk you home so we could talk more.” Koushi finally admits, not quite meeting Oikawa’s gaze. Now, it was Oikawa’s turn to blush and goddamit, he was caught off guard again. “Good night, Oikawa.” Koushi softly says and starts to walk away, contented to have the last word.

“Good night, Suga-chan!” Oikawa says a bit too loudly, panicking and refusing to let the other boy have the last word again. When Koushi turns to glance at him, he notices that he’s flustered as well. They both stand a few meters away from each other, with silly smiles on their faces. Oikawa breaks the trance by winking and giving him a peace sign, causing Koushi to bark up a laugh before finally walking home.

Whatever just happened between them was nice and new and _refreshing_ and Oikawa hopes it wouldn’t be the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *the 1975 plays softly in the background* and this is how it staaaarts
> 
> was gonna update later but then 19 days updated and played with my heart and I needed an outlet
> 
> milk bread and mr refreshing are the closest thing I have to an oisuga canon interaction so I like to use them in my fics hahahahha *sobs*


	3. His Quirks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you begin to hang out with someone regularly, it's only natural that you begin to notice the little quirks about them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 3: affection

 

Meeting in the 24-hour bakery during Friday night had become an unspoken agreement between Suga and Oikawa. After a few weeks of meeting they’ve calmed down and don’t race to get the milk bread anymore, instead, they’ve silently agreed to share them. Although sometimes, the silver-haired boy still can’t help but tease Oikawa when the numbers of milk bread aren’t even just to see him pout ( _but Oikawa doesn’t mind because he gets an excuse to whine and make Koushi walk him home to make up for the extra milk bread, and that too, becomes a silent agreement between the two_ ).

It’s only recently that they’ve started hanging out outside of the bakery and decided to exchange numbers. And it’s only recently that Tooru’s begun to _really_ notice Suga.

He notices the way the silver-haired boy becomes silent and how his brows furrow in concentration when he’s trying to read people. He notices the way Suga subtly and sneakily tries to help people, on and off the court. How sometimes his methods are just down-right unorthodox; how it would have come off as cunning had it not been him who did it ( _but since it’s from Suga, it comes off as caring instead_ ). The way Suga’s the perfect balance between being gentle enough to be kind but firm enough to not be a push-over. Or how he’s surprisingly good at working under pressure.

Tooru also notices the little things. The way his eyes crinkle closed when he’s giving one of his cheeky grins, highlighting the cute mole under his eye. How he likes to collect t-shirts with random words and designs printed on it ( _a shirt that has ‘potato’ written is Tooru’s current favorite, he even joked about getting a matching t-shirt with ‘tomato’ written on it_ ). He’s full of unexpected little quirks too, ones that Tooru would have never guessed by just looking at him. Like how he genuinely likes _super_ spicy flavored meals and how he likes to shove lots of food down his throat when he’s trying to mentally prepare for something like an exam or a game.  

But by far, the most surprising quirk he’s learned about Sugawara Koushi is his unique way of showing affection.

Most people like to give hugs, give kisses or even glomp others. But Suga wasn’t like most people. Instead, he offers his approval and adoration by giving you a series of karate chops or a set of punches ( _it was like he couldn’t contain his excitement and had to let it out through unintentional violence_ ). A ‘playful punch’ is what Suga calls it but there’s nothing ‘playful’ about how unconsciously hard he hits; it was entertaining to see people get victimized by it, furrow their brows in confusion, & open their mouths to complain only to end up slowly closing it into a smile to reciprocate the sunny grin he sends their way ( _Tooru hopes the other boy isn’t aware of how infectious his smiles are because who knows how much more shit he’ll get away with using that gummy, white-toothed weapon of his_ ). 

It’s weird, Tooru realizes, because no matter how much he learns about Suga, it’s somehow never enough. He’s never felt this insatiable since volleyball. He can’t help but look forward to their next meeting, can’t help but look forward to getting to know each other more.

~

It has always been Koushi’s habit to pay extra close attention to the people he interacts with. He likes to know what makes them happy and what makes them tick, that way he’d know how to talk to them according to their mood and help them cheer up. When it comes to Oikawa though, he’s always only ever paid him attention for volleyball-related things and it’s only now that he begins to observe him for other purposes.

He keeps a mental list of the things he noticed and grew to like:

The way his nose crinkle in distaste and how his lips curl into a pout when something doesn’t go his way. The way he worries about looking silly when he wears his prescription glasses outside but doesn’t worry about how silly he looks taking his signature peace-sign selfies with his tongue sticking out in public. How competitive he is over anything and everything, from silly little things like getting milk bread first to bigger & important things like winning a volleyball thing ( _and Suga kind of finds it endearing because it shows how passionate he is about the things he likes_ ). How he’s equally good at reading people too but has his different, but equally effective way of handling them.

And another list for the things he’s not yet sure how he feels about:

The way he makes Suga worry when he’s practicing too hard again ( _and this is coming from Suga, who’s used to seeing Karasuno’s freak duo push their limits_ ). The way he gets downcast when Oikawa sends him one of his fake cheery smiles when he’s trying to hide something. How awfully chipper he becomes when Oikawa finally opens up. The fact that he becomes extra whiny or flashy when he’s trying to get someone’s attention, probably thinking that he’s being cute. The fact that Koushi gives it to him anyway, probably finding him cute.

He has an inkling about where this is headed ( _or_ _where this has headed_ ) but right now, all he can do is keep making excuses to see _him_ more, be around each other more and figure out how all of this will play out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this got uploaded a little bit late because school/exams happened (feel free to point out mistakes/typos since it's a bit rushed). Will come back and edit this later when I get the time.


	4. "Coincidence"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since Oikawa hasn't asked him out for a dinner date yet, Suga brings the dinner date to his apartment instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 4: Sci-Fi

 ( _A coincidence is something that happens by chance, something that isn’t planned, something that isn’t a result of a carefully crafted scheme on a Saturday night.)_

Koushi texts Oikawa asking if he wants some curry for dinner, _oh because would you look at that, I accidentally made too much while I was hungry and I promise I didn’t make it super spicy._ Gladly, _thank the heavens_ , Oikawa takes the bait and quickly replies with a yes, asking if Koushi would like to have dinner together at his apartment together since he was about to head back. Koushi automatically smiles and replies saying he’ll be waiting downstairs.

( _A coincidence is what he calls this._ )

Of course, knowing Oikawa well-enough by now, he’d known that he usually went to the gym at 5 pm during Saturdays and goes home before or during dinner time. Right about now, if he was on schedule, Oikawa would be walking back to his apartment, usually passing by Koushi’s to stop and buy dinner from the bakery across. And really, it’s like hitting a bunch of birds at the same time; One: Oikawa gets free dinner, he gets to have a proper one too, not just milk bread and a bunch of sweets. Two: Koushi doesn’t have to worry about ‘left-overs’ or wasting food. Three: They get to have an excuse to have dinner together on a Saturday night. Being able to come over at Oikawa’s is an added, unexpected bonus too.

( _A coincidence is not what this is._ )

Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being a little adventurous and taking matters into your own hands.

~

Oikawa picks him up a few minutes later, looking way too good for someone who’s supposedly just showered after going through a workout regimen. They walk back into his apartment, this time, carrying a Tupperware of curry and rice instead of a paper bag full of milk bread. There’s something nostalgic and comforting about it.

The only difference is that, this time, it ends with the two of them in Oikawa’s apartment.

While taking in the knowledge _that this is finally happening_ , _his plan actually worked,_ Suga’s attention goes back to observing Oikawa, appreciating the small tufts of messy brown hair at the back of his head which he probably forgot to style after his workout. It’s a tell-tale sign that Oikawa rushed to get back home ( _again, Suga files that observation for later analysis_ ). It’s when the brunet opens the front door that he spots the keychain dangling on the keys. He’s about to open his mouth to ask about it but Oikawa unknowingly cut’s him off by jokingly saying welcome home, and it’s the warmth spreading across his chest from hearing that leaves his question forgotten.

~

Looking, around he immediately notices that Oikawa’s shelves are either filled with school text books, science magazines or sci-fi DVD’s. He also doesn’t miss the posters and other items adorned with space-related designs. _Maybe it’s his roommate’s?_ A small part of him says since Oikawa never told him anything about being interested in sci-fi ( _besides, Koushi’s not the one to talk about collecting eccentric things_ ).

“What are you still doing, standing there, Suga-chan?” The taller boy huffs, getting back from the kitchen and pushing him towards the counter with the plates already set. “C’mon I’m starving.” He whines, trying to get the smaller boy to move faster.

Suga can’t help but smile when he spots the carton of milk placed beside a pitcher of cold water.

~

Everything’s always easy with Suga and it’s no surprise that while this is the first time they’ve had dinner alone together; it feels like they’ve been doing it for a long time. Making Suga laugh and smile is easy, maintaining the flow of the conversation is easy, even breathing feels easier.

Suga eyes the keychain across him, resting on top of the table beside Oikawa’s phone ( _Suga is pleased to see that the phone is turned facedown, a sign that he’s interested in their conversation, no matter how random it gets_ ). It’s as if the universe is taunting him to ask the other boy about it already.

When curiosity finally takes over, Suga caves in and asks about Oikawa’s alien keychain. He controls his tone of voice so that he sounds casual and nonchalant even though he’s been eyeing it for a while now since aliens and Oikawa seemed like an unlikely pair. He’s extra careful about not sounding too bored or judgmental, knowing how sensitive the other boy can get, especially about the things he’s passionate about.

Oikawa, despite being a bit hesitant at first, answers his question truthfully and explains why he owns the keychain. Well, it’s not like he could lie his way out of it, remembering that his apartment was full of alien merch and sci-fi DVD’s. The brunette confesses his love for aliens ( _a little too defensively_ ) and mumbles about how ridiculous it is that some people seriously believe that there aren’t any other living creatures with the universe being so vast and so full of unexplored parts.

“aaand, I’m babbling again…” Oikawa cuts his speech off, embarrassed about ending up having a mini-rant about aliens and the universe when Suga just asked him about his keychain. He looks at Suga, expecting him to be wearing another one of his cheeky grins with an equally cheeky remark at hand _or worse_ , looking weirded out and becoming awfully turned off.

Instead what he gets is Suga’s full attention, looking genuinely interested at his recent rambling. “No, I actually think it’s pretty cool that you’re passionate about something like that.” The silver-haired boy meets his eyes and replies with nothing but sincerity in his tone. “Besides, you have a point; a very good point.”

At that, Oikawa can’t help but blush. _This even more embarrassing than if he’d made fun of me instead_. “Uhh, thanks, I guess.” Looking for something else to look at, anything but the sincere face that’s making him tomato-red, he fiddles with the keychain and scratches the back of his head awkwardly.

 _And, this is why I like you,_ Oikawa thinks. Aside from being interesting enough to keep him on his toes and pleasant enough to keep him wanting more, Sugawara Koushi is just easy to be honest with. He doesn’t flinch away when he sees Oikawa’s less likeable sides, he doesn’t force Oikawa into becoming likeable but calls him out on it. He takes Oikawa seriously when he wants to be, even when it comes to things like this. He knows when to tease and when to be serious ( _a skill Oikawa’s still trying to learn_ ).

Sometimes, Oikawa feels like he’s letting he see Suga too much but it’s times like this that he gets reminded that he can relax and be himself.

Suga can’t help but adore the blushing mess sitting in front of him. For someone who acts confident and charming all the time, he sure can’t handle compliments well. “Sooo, tell me more about the aliens.” The shorter boy encourages, wanting to see more of this newly discovered part of Oikawa.

It’s all it takes for Oikawa to look up and start animatedly talking again, causing his face to brighten up into a genuine smile.

~

“Thank you.” Oikawa says after insistently waking Suga home ( _it was about time he got the chance to return the favor after all_ ). And he doesn’t say the rest but his eyes conveyed his thoughts: _Thank you, for the dinner, for not laughing at me when you saw my sci-fi DVD collection, for listening to me babble about aliens, for not teasing me about it, for always being there, for everything._

“You’re welcome.” Suga manages to croak out, not expecting to see the sincere intensity from those brown eyes. Hazel eyes meet brown ones to convey what he’s too afraid to say out loud yet, still unsure of this thing going on between them: _You’re always welcome._

Like, usual, they part after saying their respective good night’s but somehow, this night feels different. It’s like something finally started, or maybe they’ve finally noticed something that’s been starting for a while now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *notice how I don't use a lot of dialogue since I'm not that good at it*
> 
> I just really really love space nerd Oikawa (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡
> 
> Also, this was written it in like 1 to 3 am so that's why it's a bit extra whimsical/sappy, again it's a bit rushed so im not surprised if there are any typos/errors.


	5. Chapter 5

Routines are good; They’re constant, consistent, and they give Tooru something to look forward to.

He likes that he doesn’t have to stress over making excuses to see Suga during his free time, he likes that they don’t play the whole ‘who will cave in and text the other person first’ charade and he especially likes the fact that Suga is just as willing to make time for him as he is for Suga.

Right now, however, Tooru isn’t too sure about this routine they have going on.

It’s not that he’s getting bored or weary of having a silently-agreed-upon dinner ( _and a maybe sort of date_ ) every Saturday. In fact, it’s the opposite, he looks forward to what dish the silver-haired boy might have ‘accidentally’ made too many of and looks forward to what excuse he’ll use to share it with Tooru ( _and it’s even more entertaining when Suga sometimes forgets to call him in advance and just straight up waits for him with their dinner at hand_ ). With how constantly and how consecutively this has been happening, Suga’s probably knows that Tooru knows what he’s doing and that Tooru’s happily going along with his schemes anyway.

That’s another thing he likes about whatever this, _this thing going on between them_ , is. There’s a silent ‘no-questions-asked’ feel to their relationship since they already sense what the other is up to and already have an inkling to where this is headed. Everything’s just simple, light, and drama-free; Unlike all the past relationships he’s been in.

But here’s the thing about routines; They’re stagnant, repetitive, and it feels like they’re just _stuck_.

Usually, Tooru with be fine with the whole ‘ _no labels, just go with the flow_ ’ thing but it’s different now, because it’s _Sugawara Koushi,_ the boy who’s unexpectedly and effortlessly charmed Oikawa Tooru with his cunning schemes, his eccentric statement shirts and his not-so-playfully affectionate karate chops.

Tooru was never the type to settle, he’s always pushed himself into becoming better because he knew he could be. And now he’s feeling restless because he knows that there’s room for improvement, he knows that they could be _something more_.  So, no, Tooru definitely refuses to stay stuck in this ‘ _will they or won’t they’_ stage of their relationship, no matter how fond he is of their silly little routines.

He needs to change it up and step up his game.

~

As a way of ‘changing it up’ without destroying their usual routine, Oikawa decided to start and end his workout earlier to give a surprise visit to Suga. Thank the heavens the universe cooperated because it would have been embarrassing if Suga wasn’t in his apartment & caused the brunet to look like a stalker waiting around outside his door. He’d shown up with his gym bag strapped to his shoulder, immediately coming in Suga’s apartment, saying how he wanted to help the smaller boy cook, and mumbling about how he needed to make sure the food didn’t contain too much spices this time.

Despite being surprised, Suga graciously accepted his offer, letting Oikawa do the easy tasks like boiling the water and washing the vegetables since he knew that Oikawa had barely any kitchen skills.

“So, are you secretly a culinary student or do you have plans to join masterchef?” Oikawa suddenly blurts out while he’s washing the vegetables & watching Suga chop the defrosted meat with a speed and grace that could only come from experience. _Way to ruin the domestic moment, Tooru._

“Huh?” The silver-haired boy momentarily stops chopping and turns to look at Oikawa.

“I mean, you seem to really like cooking and you’re really good at it too so I thought that maybe you, um, secretly want to be a chef?” He quips.

“Ah, it’s not like that. I like cooking but…” Suga pauses because what he wants to say is: _I like cooking for you._ Instead he furrows his brows and searches for a different answer that’s less creepy and less embarrassing. “I like cooking but only as a hobby and it helps me budget my allowance too.”

“Oh.” He suddenly feels guilty for mooching off dinner from Suga for the past weekends. He’d just accepted all the free food so easily, forgetting about how they’re both college students with allowances to budget and bills to pay.

“It’s not like it’s taking too much of my allowance anyway and I’ve been growing a spice garden in my balcony so I’ve been saving up a lot plus you’re helping me out every time I end up cooking too much since it would be a waste to have a lot of left-overs and –“ Now Suga’s just going off, because he’s finally realizing that he unintentionally guilt-tripped the other boy for constantly having dinner with him and _that was not part of the plan._ “Oh God, I didn’t mean it that way. I just -”

But maybe this is a God-given opportunity for them to finally change it up.

“Hey Koushi.” He cuts him off, suddenly sounding serious. “Wait, can I call you Koushi?”

Suga just nervously nods in reply because he’s too busy trying to read the situation. The taller boy has the same seriousness in his face when he’s getting ready to do a powerful jump serve; and it’s never pleasant to be on the receiving end when he has his game face on.

“Anyway, that wasn’t the question I wanted to ask you.” Oikawa shakes his head, momentarily chastising himself for getting distracted. “What I wanted to say was, how about I pay you back?”

“Excuse me?” Suga manages to choke out a reply. This was a first, usually Oikawa was the one left stupefied. He was still trying to recover from Oikawa suddenly calling him Koushi and that last statement just sent him even deeper into the state of shock.

“I mean, how about I return the favor next week. Instead of having you cook dinner, and since I can’t really cook, I could just take you out for dinner? I’ll be the one paying, of course…” He trails off with a hopeful smile on his face, shyly looking away when he meets Suga’s intense stare.

“Hey Tooru.” Suga says with a teasing tone, mimicking what the other boy said earlier. His confidence and playfulness is back after realizing what Oikawa’s game face was for. “Can I call you Tooru?” He pauses, fake inquisitive and all.

The other boy quickly looks up and nods seriously ( _and maybe a little too intensely_ ).

“Are you _finally_ asking me out on a date?” Suga asks with his signature cheeky grin and with his eyes twinkling with mischief, forcing himself to laugh away the speeding velocity of his heart.

“Only if you want it to be.” Oikawa smoothly replies with an equally cheeky grin, quickly catching on. Well, Tooru hoped he sounded smooth _(in Suga’s perception he did, but when Oikawa looked back, he decided how creepy and cheesy he sounded_ ).

“It depends; did you ask me hoping it would be?” Suga replies, tilting his head to the side in a bird-like manner, hoping to look cute and placate the other boy.

“You know what, I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. Sugawara Koushi, will you have dinner with me next Saturday night? He huffs out. He’s pouting again and Suga can’t help but giggle at the sight because this is the first time anyone’s asked him out with a frustrated look on their face and it’s so endearingly Oikawa-like to do so.

“Okay, pick me up at seven.”


End file.
